Conventionally, optical discs of a high density such as DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs) and BDs (Blu-ray Discs) are known as replacable recording media of a large volume. Management areas (generally referred to as “defect management areas” or “disc management areas”) provided on an inner periphery side and an outer periphery side of an optical disc of this type record disc structure definition information (DDS (Disc Definition Structure)) for defining an optical disc structure (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
This disc structure definition information (hereinafter, “DDS”) is indispensable for a device (apparatus) to record information in an optical disc or reproduce information from an optical disc.
In some cases, part of a data recording configuration (such as a recording configuration of user data or an application data format) on a disc is changed upon designation of a new optical disc format. However, conventional reproducing devices which do not support a data recording configuration including partially changed content has a problem that reproduction becomes unstable. For example, conventional reproducing devices of some firmware versions sometimes can reproduce and sometimes cannot reproduce information from an optical disc of a partially changed data recording configuration. Further, even if information can be reproduced from an optical disc, reproduction is stopped in some cases upon, for example, an access to a partially changed portion of the structure. Further, conventional recording devices which do not support optical discs including partially changed content have a concern of destruction of an optical disc, which records a partially changed data recording configuration, due to error recording.
The above unstable access that causes unstable reproduction or error recording is a factor for returns or complaints of optical discs and devices for manufacturers or distributors, and needs to be prevented.
To prevent this unstable access, a method is introduced of acquiring and checking in a device a disc ID (a disc ID which varies per optical disc format) or a disc type determination information recorded in an optical disc in advance, when an optical disc is not supported, presenting information about this to a user and preventing reproduction and recording of information.